Sad news from St. Paul: A Minneapolis man was swept away while swimming in the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul this weekend.
While local rivers have receded from this spring's flood stages,there's still much more water than average in the Mississippi and other rivers, and it's flowing dangerously fast. The current is strong and can easily sweep away even an experienced swimmer. The force of the current can push a person underneath downed trees, barges, rocks, and other obstructions, and trap a swimmer underwater.
The US Geological Survey keeps track of river levels, and is reporting that flow of the Mississippi River is way above average - as are the Minnesota River, St. Croix River, and other local rivers like the Cannon River, Rum River and Vermillion River.
Comments